The Intensive Language Course Toward a Successful Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT The intensive language course, when carefully planned and well executed, will be a gratifying professional experience. This particular Spanish course met daily for eight weeks from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Classroom instruction, native speaker groups, and the language laboratory shared the daily contact hours. In addition to the basic textbook materials, the professors in charge prepared supplemental material to enrich the course. The philosophical approach to the course was that of laying a firm grammatical foundation in Spanish during the hours of formal instruction and developing oral‐aural skills in the native speaker groups. The essential methodology involved presenting amounts of related material at one time, constantly reinforcing this material through the course. In addition to weekly examina and a final examination at the end of each week session (each session corresponding five credit‐hour course), other methods of uation were native speaker ratings, pop and daily evaluation of class recitations. type of course has practical advantages for department, including good publicity, low per credit hour, and the fact that these awaken student interest and help maintain rollment in advanced courses.